Things that made Quin mad:
Offensive Line
The story all year has been the inability to protect Aaron Rodgers. The damage done this game: four sacks for a loss of 39 yards. Linemen couldn’t overpower Cowboy defensive linemen as Demarcus Lawrence, David Irving and Tyrone Crawford all collected sacks. Like it has all year, the line is banged up as David Bakhtiari was out but they did run the ball well with a rookie running back. If the offensive line can’t protect against the pass rush, it’s going to be a long and painful season for Rodgers.
First Half Defense
The Cowboys have one of the most talented offenses in the league with that o-line, Ezekiel Elliot, Dez Bryant and Dak Prescott. The Packers defense did not look prepared at all for that offense during the first half. Dallas’ first drive was like a hot knife going through butter as guys such as Bryce Butler were being left wide open down the field because that’s what zone coverage allows. This was the case for the entire first half as the Cowboys scored three touchdowns while Prescott was making it look easy. Another theme throughout the game was poor tackling. It seemed the Cowboys got a lot of preventable yards and first downs because defenders could not bring the ball carrier down after first contact.
Things that made Quin Happy:
Aaron Jones
With Ty Montgomery out, the rookie fifth round pick had a game for the ages as he rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown. This was a huge reason for the Packers winning and it helped Rodgers substantially to have that without defenders trying to sack him. Jones runs hard, finds the hole with ease and he runs through it with such explosiveness. Even when Montgomery returns, Jones should still see plenty of time because of this game he played and how he played it. Most notably on that final game winning drive instead of passing it which the Cowboys’ defense was expecting, Rodgers handed the ball off to Jones who ran for 15 yards and out of bounds to put Green Bay in field goal range. More Aaron Jones is good for the Packers and having that additional threat is terrifying for opposing defenses.
Davante Adams
Adams had a storyline performance after having his head nearly taken off in a scary hit against the Bears a week prior. Adams led the receivers in all categories with seven receptions, 66 yards receiving and two touchdowns, including the game winning one. He is truly worth mentioning and played a huge role in Green Bay’s victory.
Damarious Randall
After almost a full year of me ripping him endlessly for horrible play and having a heated conflict with the coaching staff after the win against the Bears, Randall’s play has proven a lot of doubter’s wrong. We’ll have to see if this continues but I’ll personally give the devil his due. He had the big pick-6 that changed the momentum in the game late but he also showed great coverage on the outside when the game mattered. If Randall can play like he did in this game, I and every single Packer fan won’t be angry at him every time an opposing receiver is wide open.